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Having gone the other way (US to Europe) I think the question is a bit broad. America doesn’t have a uniform culture, just like Europe is not one culture. Compa
by gregjor 5y ago
Having gone the other way (US to Europe) I think the question is a bit broad. America doesn’t have a uniform culture, just like Europe is not one culture. Companies in New York, LA, Silicon Valley, and Omaha will have different cultures and work styles.
Aside from language and the obvious differences in food and so on that aren’t work specific, I think the big differences you might encounter are more working hours, more complicated (and expensive) medical benefits and care, and pressure not to take time off. Those factors vary widely too, though. Some American work places, especially in tech, look like catered playgrounds.
COVID has meant working from home part or full time for many Americans, so depending on the company you may not have much direct exposure to workplace culture.
One thing I’ve noticed working with foreigners in the US: Americans tend to focus on results and teamwork. I’ve worked with people from other cultures who have focused on blame when something goes wrong, where the American tendency is to fix, move on, don’t repeat the mistake. That’s a generalization of course. At the same time Americans believe in personal accountability and keeping commitments, which get expressed differently in other cultures.
- yuppie_scum 5y agoPlenty of blame and shame goes on. It’s just more passive aggressive.
- gregjor 5y agoYeah you have a point. I have certainly seen plenty of that in American companies. It’s hard to tell how much of that you might have to put up with during the interviews and honeymoon phase.